A Light With In- Selected Poems of Harbhajan Singh

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About the Book Dr. Harbhajan Singh is by far the most eminent poct in Punjabi language. For his living he worked as a professor of Punjabi in the University of Delhi. During his illustrious career as poet he has been decorated with numerous prizes, capping them all with the Saraswati Samman. During three decades that span his career as poet he produced more than a dozen volumes of verse, a long dramatic poem, and poems commemorating special occasions. His range covers the most mundane to the most divinely mystic. So, too, his imagery is drawn from the common day to day life, yet his metaphors bear the unique stamp of his individuality. His language and style can be as simple and witty as folk songs of Punjab, and the same time as erudite as the Adi Granth. The response to his poetry has always been of deep appreciation.

About the Author S.C. Narula has taught at the Delhi University. Department of English for more than three decades and has researched in literature, comparative literatures (Hindi, Punjabi and English), and presented learned papers in international academic fora. He has written numerous articles and review articles for several literary journals.

Foreword The reluctant preface to his selected poems, Meri Kaav Yatra (1989, Navyug, Delhi), reveals how Harbhajan Singh would rather let his poetry speak for itself. The idea of recapitulating a history of the experiences and the creative processes that finally led to the writing of the poems, and to analyse them, and to place them in the pers pective of the current Punjabi literary scene has always been against the grain of his temperament. This in spite of his long years of teaching literature at the University of Delhi, which inevitably would involve critical exposition, and discussion of literary texts and history of literature. But dealing with one's own creative output would involve much more than natural objectivity of a dispassion ate reader and commentator. It is more akin to a surgeon perform ing surgery upon himself.

One can, therefore, understand and accept this hesitation, trepidation more than mere hesitation. Besides, all that the poet may have to say of his poetry may not be much more than some well known and some not so well known snatches of biographical detail, and which may interest a certain school of criticism only, and may be of not much relevance for the evaluation of his work. For beyond that record what the poet set out to say or record may or may not finally be in the total impact of the finished poem - and if it is, how much more is left beyond what is stated. A whole body of critical comment is an attempt to assess what lies between the intent and end-product of the poet. Whereas in another of his preface, to Mein Jo Beet Gaya, (1970) he had said, that when a friend had offered to write an introduction to his collection of poems, he thought, yes, the introduction would be written, but an opportunity to come face to face with myself, to look more deeply within, would be lost.

Introduction I have, generally, shied away from writing introductions to my poetry. The fact is that I have been so engrossed in my creative work that it left me no time to engage myself in writing prefaces. Besides, I have regularly received a share of Punjabi critical com mentary. In the light of which writing about my own work futile to me. And, if at all I have written, it would have been more about my commentators than my work.

Whatever has been written about me is quite substantial. I may not go along with all that is said but I am stirred by a sense of gratitude towards it. I cannot complain that I have not been rightly understood. Temperamentally I am given to writing poetry, and in the process I make an effort to understand myself. Understanding of poetry belongs to the readers, whose interest it may generate. One cannot have anything against those whose interest is not aroused. Even against a poet there is no scope for grouse that he wrote or did not write on certain topics. The reader is inclined by his attitudes. And his attitudes would not only be different from those of the poet, but characteristically quite individual, which he brings to bear on his choice and his reading. Hence I feel grateful to the contemporary literary critics who have found my work interest ing enough for their comment.

I have been using, whatever critical faculty, I have, in the study f contemporaneous writings. In the choice of the work for com ment and evaluation, consciously or unconsciously, I have been ided by a certain principle. I avoided the work of the writers who some time had written about me, or those who I surmised may ite about me.

**Contents and Sample Pages**